Defending a Demon
by xXseleniumXx
Summary: A Sequel to the Gorillaz fanfiction "Keeping a Fish".  Murdoc battles with the forces out to do him in; Aqua and 2D struggle to regain the love they once shared.  Language, violence, drugs, drinking, and maybe sex.  Haven't decided lol.
1. Slow Country

**I'm back! This new story is a sequel to my other Gorillaz fanfiction, "Keeping a Fish", so if you haven't read it, some things may not make any sense. Any way, this new fanfic is more about Murdoc's struggles with the Black Clouds and the Boogeyman than Aqua and 2D. Although there will be some of that in this story later. This chapter is just kind of an introduction to the concept. This takes place a few weeks after the other one left off, so there are some changes, as in Aqua is sleeping alone and she has a scar on her left shoulder, and the green fog is still there. Also, Aqua considers Murdoc to be responsible for her falling out with 2D. Murdoc also now kind of sees Aquamarine as a sort of daughter, kind of the way he used to treat Noodle, but still with his creepy horniness *cringes*. Anyway, it's a shitty chapter, but give nice reviews, okay?**

It was that _fog_ again.

This was the fourth night in a row that Murdoc had woken up without the ability to breathe. And the fog hadn't lifted even after Aqua's return. Not that it had anything to do with her, of course. But that sodding green vapor was going to kill him one day.

In his dark bedroom he gasped for breath and hoped his lungs would clear soon. Funny thing was, the fog didn't seem to affect neither 2D nor Aqua; 2D only saw harmless white fog while Aqua saw nothing at all. It was him, wasn't it? The boogeyman. Here on the island. Waiting for the opportune moment to snatch the soul he no longer possessed.

"I'm right here, you bleeder," Murdoc grumbled into space as his lungs cleared. "I'm vulnerable and I'm waiting. Come and get me."

Nothing answered. Murdoc glanced at his digital clock. 2:38 am. About time he woke up. If he continued to sleep in like this, he'd never get that album finished.

Not bothering to put anything on over his briefs, he lumbered out of bed and shuffled drowsily to the lift. He pushed the up button, stepped inside, and pressed the button for the study. He wanted to finish mixing their latest song. After that, they'd be three down, who-knows-how-many-more to go.

Once the doors opened, he decided he wanted to check on Aqua to make sure she hadn't suffocated in her sleep. He pushed a book on the bookcase entitled "The Bastard", and descended down the revealed staircase.

About two thousand steps later, he came to a plain door which he opened, revealing his cluttered secret lair. Against one wall were several monitors, against another a large book on a pedestal, yet another was Aquamarine, curled up underneath a thin blanket and a cheap pillow. Murdoc stole over to her, careful not to make a sound, and crouched over her. She looked so innocent when she was asleep, her hair enveloping her face, a soft breast nearly peeking out of her shifted tank top (he had finally gotten around to buying her actual clothes). Murdoc brushed the dark, curly hair from her jawline. Her gills opened and closed rhythmically. She was still alive.

Suddenly her eyes flew open and she looked up at him. "Sorry, love, I didn't mean to wake you," he whispered.

"I have survived this night, as every other night. You do not need to check on me so frequently."

"I know. I just worry sometimes. I used to do the same with Noodle...Blimey, I hope she's alright..."

"You woke up breathless again, did you not?"

Murdoc nodded. "Are you sure you haven't had any difficulty breathing?"

"No." Aqua sat up now. Murdoc could see the scar on her shoulder flex a little. "This thing, this 'fog' you claim is there, it seems to be composed of water. I have been breathing more freely lately."

Murdoc smiled. "That's a relief. Anyway, go back to sleep. I'll be in the studio if you need anything." He began to walk away.

"Let me up there with you."

Murdoc turned around. "You need your rest, angelfish."

"Why do you treat me like an offspring? I am fully grown. Ever since 2D rejected me, you have treated me like I have not yet reached maturity."

"Aqua, I only mean to protect you. There are...dangerous forces out there. There are things out there bent on destroying me. I don't want you to get caught up in that. At this hour you're more vulnerable than ever."

"Murdoc, you do not understand. I am a strong warrior. I can protect you. I can-"

"Trust me, you don't _want_ to have to protect me. You don't know what they're capable of."

"I have dealt with worse, I am sure."

"No you haven't."

"Yes, I have."

Murdoc turned to leave, but Aquamarine grabbed him by the ankle. Her tone turned acidic. "You cost me my mate. You owe me freedom."

"I don't owe you anything. You asked _me_."

"That is true, but you fed me those white shapes. I would have never asked you to mate if I had not swallowed them. The fault is yours. You owe me something, and I demand liberation from your degrading commands."

Murdoc sighed. Well, she was partly right, at least. But he hadn't _meant_ to get her high. He only wanted to make her stop hurting. Not that he regretting anything. Because he certainly didn't.

"2D does not yet know about the objects you fed me. If you do not comply, I will tell him."

Murdoc knew that this was not an empty threat. He also knew that even when she did tell him, he wouldn't face any consequences. 2D was scared shitless of him. But he decided to humor her. "Fine. Come up with me if you want, but don't expect anything _too _physical..." he snickered.

"I was not planning on it." He stopped laughing. Aquamarine let go of his ankle and meticulously folded the blanket off of her. She stood up gracefully, readjusting her tank top and shorts. "Infernal contraptions, these 'clothes'." Murdoc mentally agreed. If it weren't for clothes, she'd be a lot more fun to look at. Not that she wasn't already. But he couldn't think that way; it was too risky on too many different levels. Murdoc began to ascend the staircase.

Aquamarine grabbed his shoulder. "Tell me, what is so formidable about the forces out to kill you?"

Murdoc sighed. "It's not really how _formidable_ they are, per se, it's more how _angry_ they are with me."

"Why? What did you do to them?"

"I'll tell you when we get upstairs." And he took her hand and led her up the infinite staircase.


	2. Faust

**Okay, so this is microscopically short. I want this to be a fanfic ten times more worthy of reading than "Keeping a Fish", which was the most stereotypical, fangirl-OC story of all time, so I'm taking the focus off my OC for a moment and checking in on Russel and Noodle, who didn't appear my other story at all. Which is too bad, because they're great characters. I guess they just didn't fit in with the story. But this time, I'm putting right all I got wrong in the other one! So enjoy, to the Noodle fans and the sparse Russel fans (I know you're out there somewhere...*crickets*)! I can't tell you how many more chapters they'll be in but I promise you, this isn't their last.**

From the brown dome, she scanned the dark, moonlit horizon and found ocean in all directions. It had been an undeterminable amount of time. It would seem Plastic Beach did not exist. But it had to-she'd heard a transmission from Murdoc, talking about a new album, the island, and a mysterious woman named Aquamarine...

She sat down in frustration. They'd been searching possibly for months, and had seen nothing. It would seem they had gone in some sort of enormous aquatic circle. Russel had been incredibly trusting, leaving her in charge of navigation, but Noodle could not help but feel she had failed them both. They were no closer to finding the others together than they were apart.

Russel sensed her frustration and picked her off his head and placed her in the palm of his hand. Noodle went willingly. "I know it seems like we're never gonna get there, but trust me, I just know we're closer than when we started. Remember those coordinance Murdoc gave out in the transmission?"  
>"But what if they were wrong? Maybe he was mistaken?"<p>

"I don't think so. Mudz is smarter than that. He knows where he is. We'll find him."

"Oh, and 2D-san as well."

"Yeah, him too." Russel's blank, white eyes stared off toward the horizon. Noodle noticed the expression of concentration. He was on to something...

"Something's coming," he muttered.

Noodle lifted the mask off her face to better see what Russel meant and turned around. Just then, a helicopter appeared in the sky, hurtling at its top speed toward them...

It was then the bullets were spat at then. Russel closed his hand around Noodle's comparatively microscopic body and plunged into the freezing sea. Noodle held her breath as Russel's hand filled with water. She could hear the bullets break the surface of the ocean. She hoped that Russel wasn't hit, or at least not hard. But Russel didn't flinch, meaning he was safe and in one piece. As an extra precausion, Noodle replaced her mask, so that maybe if she was spotted somehow they wouldn't recongize her. What were they after that she had? What had she done that had made them want so badly to kill her?

The only thing keeping Noodle from hypothermia was the warmth of Russel's gigantic hand surrounding her. She could still hear the chopper above the surface, circling them, shooting at what it could see. These people didn't give up. Even after five years...

Russel was moving. The hand around her flexed as she was shaken violently. There was a spine-chilling crunch, the kerplunk of heavy metal objects hitting the water, and splash of Russel penetrating the surface. The hand opened and Noodle gasped for breath. She looked into Russel's dark face. "Got it." He smiled in his macho way, with a hint of pride and almost-arrogance.

But Noodle could still hear helicopters in the distance. She pointed to the faraway lights streaking across the sky. "There another one...over there."

Russel looked. "Why do I get the impression Murdoc's responsible for all this?"

"They seem to be heading in opposite direction," Noodle observed.

"You know what, I think you're right. I think they're after Mudz. What do you wanna bet?"

Noodle had an idea. "If we follow helicoptors, we find Plastic Beach."

Russel's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Good idea. I didn't think of that." He raised her back on his head and began to wade in the direction their attackers were.

Noodle smiled to herself. In a strange way, her pursuers had brought good fortune.

"Hey, uh, Noodle? What do we do when we can't see the helicopter anymore?" Russel's head vibrated slightly from his voice.

"We keep going. If you are right that helicopters after Murdoc-san, we find them. We find them soon."

"That's what I thought. I just wanna check with you, Miss Navigator." He chuckled, but carefully as to not throw Noodle into the icy water below.

Noodle laughed too. It had been the first time in too long.


	3. Man Research Clapper

**Here you learn what exactly the whole Black Clouds/Boogeyman thing is about. I used a little bit of inspiration from the Rhinestone Eyes storyboard video for his story. Then the helicopter comes to Plastic Beach. Nothing too exciting happens, I'm sorry, but there is a vicious argument. Enjoy! Review, please!**

"Now, what did the twerp tell you about Noodle?"

They sat in the heavily-cushioned theatre seats in the study. Aquamarine stared unwaveringly at Murdoc, waiting for his story. "Only that she was the original guitarist of the band."

"Well, not _original_. Did faceache tell you about Paula? Never mind, we'll save that for another day. Anyway, Noodle was our main guitarist, the one that helped us rise to fame. She was brilliant. Great musician. Sharp kid, too. Nothing got past her. She was, er, sort of like my kid, I guess. I raised her. She came out pretty well, if I do say so myself. Anyway, you saw the El Manana video, right?"

"Yes."

"Great. Saves me about ten minutes then. Anyway, around the time Demon Days was released, I was involved with this sort of gang, I guess you could call them. The Black Clouds, they were called. Odd fellows. They were all about revenge and murder. I must say, they were the toughest crowd I ever got tangled up with. Well, one day, I decided that I didn't want to be part of their little club anymore. They didn't take it too well. They told me I had to make a payment of some sort in order to leave the group. I offered them a couple hundred thousand, you know, album money. They turned me down. I offered more, but they told me I needed to pay with something I'd miss more."

"Noodle," Aqua brainstormed aloud.

"Exactly. They told me I had to pay with the one person in the entire world I cared about most. I tried to convince them I _really_ cared about 2D, but they didn't buy it." Aquamarine scowled at him. "Sorry, only joking. Anyway, that person, just so happened to be my guitarist, the little girl I raised from the time that she was just a tot in a box..." Murdoc trailed off and stared down at the stained carpet.

"So she is dead? You told me you did not know."

"Now hold on there, I'm not finished. When we were to shoot the video for El Manana, I secretly arranged for the Black Clouds to come and do her in. I figured it'd make a great video, too. Kill two birds with one stone, really. But I warned Noodle. I packed her with a nice little parachute and she escaped in one piece. Of course, I haven't seen her since and the Black Clouds found out I tricked them, but she's alive, and that's what matters. Or, at least I _think_ she's alive..."

"And what of this 'boogeyman' you are always talking about?"

"Oh, that," Murdoc laughed nervously. "I was on the run in the deserts of Chile when I came across this sort of hooded figure in the distance. I wasn't sure if I could trust him at first, but he had tequila, so I approached him. We got to talking and I told him about my troubles with the Black Clouds. He offered to help me. I said to him 'How can you help me? You seem about as lost as I am.' It was then he revealed himself as the gas mask-donning monster he is, and offered to take them down once and for all-in exchange for my soul. We shook on it and that was that. But he must've found out somehow that I had already sold my soul to Satan. The Boogeyman's been lurking about ever since."

"It would seem that all of your problems are your fault. You deserve to be killed, then. You have been dishonest to a great deal of people."

Murdoc looked horrified. "Aqua, I'm surprised at you! I thought, after what you've been through, you might be a bit more sympathetic."

She stood up and towered over him as much as she could. "I am sought after because I fought for what I believed was right. You are only the betrayer of a thousand men. You must live with your mistakes, or die by them."

"I didn't realize you were still so mad about the whole 2D thing-"

"You think you are a strong leader, but you are no better than King Neptune. You are a deceiver, a betrayer, and most of all, a thief of destinies."

"Hold on." Murdoc rose from his own chair, just barely taller than Aquamarine. "I saved your life, you ungrateful little bitch."

"You did not save me," Aquamarine spat, advancing on him. "You mutilated me, imprisoned me, caused me great physical injury, and then alienated the man to whom I was mated. You have done me no favors. The only reason I am still here is that I have nowhere else to go."

"This is how I see it." Murdoc stepped forward, causing her to back up a little. "I took you in, fed and clothed you, gave you a job and performed a surgery that allowed you to survive independently. I've done you more favors than you have me."

Aquamarine narrowed her eyes. "The only favor you could have done me was to throw me back into the ocean while I still had my tail!"

"You would've been killed if I had and you know it!"

"Again, you underestimate me! I have more power than you realize!

"Oh yeah? How's that? Most of the time, you don't even know what you're doing, not to mention all the times I've had to scrape your useless arse off the beach-"

Aquamarine heard a motor. It was a strange motor sound though, it was unlike the sea plane or the submarine. And it was a approaching, and quickly. She looked at Murdoc, who had frozen with widened eyes. They were here, she knew. The Black Clouds. They had found him at last. Murdoc placed a hand on her shoulder. "Get back in the secret lair," he muttered without looking at her.

"No. I can take them."

"You don't have any weapons. Just get back down there and wait this out. I'm not letting you get hurt again."

"I have every right to defend this island. It is my home as well."

"Are you mental? You can't take a helicopter empty-handed! And besides, I'm not going to be doing any fighting either. That's why I built the cyborg." Murdoc reached into his pocket and extracted a remote control. He pressed a red button. "Now all me have to do is wait this out." He took her hand and led her back down to the secret lair.

They sat there in significant discontent, not speaking or touching. Aquamarine made a point of sitting far enough away from Murdoc to where if he tried to touch her she would have proper warning. The island shook periodically and they knew it had been hit. Even this far underneath the surface of the water, the sounds of heavy guns and helicopters could be heard. She could hear Murdoc cursing under his breath.

In a way, she could see herself in him, struggling to survive and doing so alone. But still, he had brought upon his own fate and ruined that of others. And it was hard to be sympathetic toward a person who had wronged her so many times.

The attack lasted another half hour before things quieted down. Soon after, the cyborg charged into the room, stood erect, and saluted Murdoc. It had succeeded.

"Fantastic. Now go recharge," Murdoc commanded, regaining his arrogance. The mechanical human marched back up the stairs. Murdoc turned to Aquamarine. "You see, angelfish, there are certain tasks that don't need to be done, because now we have technology to do it for us."

Aqua didn't respond. She was still irate. Once Murdoc left the room she let out a furious shriek that she knew no one would hear. Her fist met the wall and she cried out in pain when she found it unmoving. She stood up, threw her pillow across the room, kicked her sheets around the floor, and screamed some more. She hated him. Murdoc was Neptune all over again. Only this time, she had no army to storm him with. Aqua was alone.

And, most of all, she was lonely.


	4. Revolving Doors

**When I first wrote this chapter, I cried a little. This is basically 2D and Aqua trying to work through a serious misunderstanding, but only making things worse. The chapter name is because nothing seems to change for 2D, unless it's to get worse. He's stuck, like a revolving door, while he lets the other two push him around and intimidate him. Anyway, review please!**

Of about a trillion chances a day he got to talk to Aquamarine alone, he took none of them.

2D fiddled nonsense on his keyboard, not even trying to make sense of anything. The studio was bright with sunlight, but his mood was cloudy. He didn't even take the time to notice that it wasn't even foggy today. The various bullet holes in the walls didn't phase him and even though today the cyborg seemed surprisingly beat up, he wasn't really concerned. That was just life here-dangerous and damaged. 2D had never really been a pessimist before, but the way he saw it, he had nowhere to go, nothing to do, and nobody to talk to.

Except for Aquamarine.

She talked to Murdoc, though. And who knew? Maybe they were together now. He didn't spend much time in their presence. He couldn't. He was too angry and too hurt. The worst part about it was that he was forced to live with them even after the fact. He couldn't just go triapsing around England and find another girl. He had no way to get off Plastic Beach. If he had he would've been long gone. And he would never have to see Aqua smile again. It killed him when she smiled, because he wasn't causing it anymore. And of course, she never looked at him. Sometimes he thought she had forgotten he was even there. Maybe she never cared about him at all. Maybe Murdoc had lied when he'd said Aqua was in love with him.

Didn't matter now. He'd given her up. He had to. He had to stop letting people walk all over him. What Aquamarine had done to him was wrong.

Just then, the studio door flew open and a hammered Murdoc stumbled in. "Hey, faceache!" he called, smiling jovially. 2D opened the recording booth door and peeked his head out. "I'm going to take a little vacation in the submarine. Watch the fish for me, will you?"

"Okay," he mumbled, not sure if Murdoc could even hear him.

"But, Murdoc," called a low female voice. "You are very drunk. You may have an accident."

"That's why I'm bringing the cyborg with me." hic. "And you, twerp! Talk to her! She wants to sleep with you again! If you're lucky, she'll let you shag her!"

2D blushed slightly and Murdoc fairly collapsed out of the room.

And in came Aqua.

She was really beautiful in clothes, now a pair of cutoff jean shorts and a plain, green t-shirt. You could take her seriously now. It made you more curious what was underneath them, even though he already knew.

She stepped in cautiously, her hands behind her back, staring at him as if she was afraid he would hurt her. But he knew her well enough to know she was far from it. He tried not to look her in the eye, but he could still feel her gaze on his face. It burned. Eventually she took the hint of the rejection and lowered her eyes.

"Do not listen to Murdoc. I have never said anything of the kind."

2D sighed. "Didn' fink so."

There was a pause, and 2D thought to slip back into the booth, but he thought better of it. Maybe part of him really did want to talk to Aqua. He stepped out beyond the door and leaned against a nearby wall, his hands in his pockets and his eyes to the floor. He waited. He wasn't going to be the one to initiate anything.

"You do not talk to me anymore. Why is that?"

"You hur' me bad, Aqua. I fot I loved you. Maybe I didn'. I dunno. Bu' I fot I mean' somefing t'you."

"You do. I have never felt this way about another in my life."

"Why'd you do it, then?"

"I..." Aqua trailed off. 2D took a peek at her and could see her standing in the opposite end of the room, looking down and seeming about to cry.

"Does Murdoc have somefing I don'?"

"Of course not. You are so much more-"

"Was I no' good enough f'you or somefing? Is it b'cause I didn' trea' you wiff enough respeck? I tried, Aqua! I know I didn' ack like I should've, bu' I didn' deserve whachoo done t'me!"

"I am sorry, 2D. You are right. I made a mistake."

"Dunno how I'm s'posed to f'give you f'tha'. I wouldn'a done it t'you."

"You do not understand. It was not in my control."

2D shifted uncomfortably against the wall. "Whachoo mean?"

Aqua paused. 2D looked up and waited. _This better be good_, he thought. "When I was shot upon my return," she began. "I was in so much pain. I screamed and screamed but it would not stop. The only thing that kept it from hurting were these small white shapes that Murdoc fed me. He told me to swallow them whole. They made the pain go away, but they also did a strange thing to me. I cannot describe it. I was not myself."

2D's face turned concerned. "Me painkillers..."

"Your what?"

"Were they whi' an' shaped like an oval?"

"Yes...why?"

"Those were mine. Murdoc gave you me painkillers..."

Aqua smiled slightly. "Yes."

"...You were high..."

"Yes," she said, stepping closer as if coaxing him. "I was not in my right mind."

2D relaxed a little. Maybe it wasn't her fault after all. It sounded like Murdoc drugged her and then carried her to his bedroom and raped her. But he didn't think it was rape. Otherwise, why would she have fallen asleep in his bed? Still, maybe it wasn't as blatant as he thought. She was under the influence of some pretty heavy-duty stuff, so she probably couldn't resist him even if she wanted to. "Why didn' you tell me b'fore?"

Aquamarine sighed. "I did not want the fighting. I knew that if I told you, you would try to harm Murdoc-"

"An' wha's wrong wiff tha'? If he done all those terible fings to us, why would you wanna proteck him?" Aquamarine didn't answer. It only solidified in 2D's mind what he had feared all along. "You an' him...you're togevver aren' you? Sleep in the same bed an' everyfing, I be'. Tha's why you don' talk t'me no more...you don' need me."

"No! That is not true! I do need you! Murdoc is the only one I can talk to because you do not even look at me anymore! I do not sleep with him and I never will again! I am sorry!" She inched closer, looking as if what she really wanted was to touch him. "Please, 2D, forgive me. I never meant to hurt you so badly."

2D shook his head. Why should he believe anything she said after what she did to him? He pushed off the wall and slouched out of the room.

"You have to watch me!" Aquamarine called to him. "If you do not stay, I will break something and it will be your fault!"

"S'nuffing worse he can do t'me tha' he hasn' already." 2D climbed the spiral staircase up to the room and slammed the trap door shut.

Out of sight from Aqua, he sat down and pulled his knees to his chest. There was no hope, was there? Even if he could find it in himself to forgive her, he had already lost her. He'd waited too long. Maybe if he'd just bucked up and talked to her sooner, they would've gotten through this. But he'd been too stupid and too scared to do what he now knew he had wanted to do all along. And now it was too late.

His eye sockets watered and he didn't even try to hold it in. The sunlight glared in his welling tears and mocked him. He looked down through the rail at the ocean. Wherever Murdoc was, he hoped something bad happened to him. And it wasn't very Buddhist of him, he knew, but he didn't care. He deserved it. Murdoc had only made his life Hell.

He could hear Aqua calling his name from below the trap door but he didn't respond. That door was all he had to keep her from hurting him more.


	5. White Light

**There's a lot of language in this one. Beware. Also, the Boogeyman appears, and Murdoc is drunk and virtually helpless...I also wanted to introduce the concept of the cyborg having emotions after all.**

Maybe Murdoc's coordination wasn't there, but his mind still was. His brain had conditioned itself to function even when drunk, far better than when compared to the effects of the heavy-duty drugs he was usually on. Maybe he couldn't walk right or drive the submarine very straight, but Hell; he still knew what he was doing.

He stared, glassy-eyed into the murky, blue-green water through the front window of the shark-shaped submarine, almost forgetting what he'd come down here for in the first place. The cyborg sat on one of the metal benches, a gun close at hand. There was really no need for her to have one, as the submarine was equipped with weaponry of its own and she had internal guns installed just in case, but Murdoc wasn't able to pry the Remington 870 from her robotic arms. Sometimes he wondered if the cyborg really did have emotions after all, since she was so attached to that thing. When Murdoc had ordered she put it away, she almost seemed…_angry_. It was only under the condition she dragged that thing along that she got in the sub with him. And he couldn't go alone. In the event that he passed out—he looked down at the rum bottle in his right hand—

Murdoc had to take every precaution to keep himself alive. He knew he was in for it once he died. That's why he'd swapped organs with 2D. The twerp wasn't as heavy of a drinker as he was; he was somewhat healthier than Murdoc. Not to mention the reason he'd moved to that God-forsaken pile of rubbish in the first place. If they couldn't find him, he'd stay alive...for the time being.

But they'd found him...how? How could they have possibly discovered the most isolated point on the planet? It was that bloody broadcast he'd just _had_ to make, wasn't it. Sodding idiot. He _knew_ that'd been a bad idea.

But how else was Noodle going to find him?

A flashing red light caught Murdoc's eye. He stared down at the small, circular screen near the steering wheel. It sported a line that circled and circled like the second hand on a clock. At the top of the screen was a red dot. The red dot was kind of attractive. He reached out a finger to touch it—

Bloody Hell! Something was heading straight for him!

Murdoc looked up into the water before him. In the distance he could see a small, black shape amongst the teal, shooting directly in his path. But Murdoc didn't move. He only watched the black dot grow bigger with glazed eyes...

Murdoc shook his head and one-handedly jerked the wheel to the left. When he could no longer see it anymore, he relaxed the wheel and took a swig from the bottle. It was probably just a whale, he told himself. Nothing serious...

...A _black_ whale?

Orcas weren't native to this chunk of the ocean. Which meant it wasn't a whale. It was probably a missile. Sodding Black Clouds were after him again. But no worries, that missile would miss now. Thanks to his quick thinking—

Another red light. This time it was coming from a diagonal-right angle. Shit. It had followed him. He watched the red light come to him. It was so entertaining, the way it flashed...it was so pretty...he'd be able to see it in a minute...another swig—

Before he realized it, a cloud of black cloth swirled artistically in front of the sub. There seemed to be no body, no head, but it was full of _life_. The movements did not match that of the current; clearly it controlled itself. Murdoc gaped at it, stunned by its odd beauty. This black cloth began to envelop the sub, darkening the windows and setting off several alarms around him. Just before all the lights went out, a hideous gas mask face revealed itself—

Murdoc's heart jolted him awake and he instinctive slammed the palm of him hand on a red button in the middle of the steering wheel. There was slight recoil and two small red missiles escaped the front of the sub and shot holes in the Boogeyman's cloak. Murdoc made to press the button again, but he was losing even more coordination...the world was spinning...the light was dimming...

* * *

><p>Murdoc woke up and felt weak. His head throbbed agonizingly and his limbs lacked sufficient strength to move much. What <em>happened<em>...

He looked down and noticed he was still wearing his black sweater and his jodhpurs along with his military boots. His sailing cap was gone but his forehead was sweating coldly. Sweet Satan, something serious must've happened. He rarely wore this much clothing ever, let alone to bed. But judging by his migraine, he must've been drunk.

How long had he been out? His last memory was sometime in the afternoon, and it was dark now so—he looked over at his Mickey Mouse clock—blimey, nearly half a day ago! The whole island was probably in ruins by now. He never really trusted 2D and Aqua alone on the island; they'd probably just fuck everything up. Especially faceache. He'd probably scratch up his bass for revenge or something pathetic like that. And Aqua was probably injured and 2D didn't know how to care for her, so he just left her lying in her own blood on the study carpet.

He sure hoped not...

Worrying about Aqua (and the expensive carpet) gave him the adrenaline needed to scrape his sorry arse off his bed and lumber over to the lift. If _anything_ was fucked up, _especially_ angelfish, the twerp was gonna pay...

The lift doors opened and he was surprised to see the dim lights of the study still on. He was even more surprised to hear soft, female sobbing.

Murdoc panicked a little. Was Aquamarine hurt after all? He called softly to her: "Angelfish? You alright, love?"

She ignored him and continued sobbing. Great. She was going to make him go looking for her, wasn't she? He stepped out of the lift and began to make a slow perimeter around the room. The sound seemed to come from the center of the room—the desk. Murdoc crossed to it and looked underneath. Sure enough, he found the former mermaid curled up and convulsing with her sobs. Murdoc kneeled next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you hurt?"

Aquamarine shook her head. "Though it f-feels that way int-ternally."

Faceache. "What happened this time?"  
>"He will not f-forgive me. I t-tried to exp-plain about th-the paink-killers, b-but he will not forgive me!" Aqua cried harder and shook the desk. Murdoc was getting sick of this whole thing. He wished they'd just make up and bang so he wouldn't have to deal with this shit anymore.<p>

"Maybe the twerp's overrated?" Murdoc suggested, shrugging.

Aquamarine glared hatefully at him. "You will never understand. Do you think I am overrated?"

"No, but I don't see how that has anything to do with—"

"He is the same to me as I am to you. If I was indifferent to you it would be the same."

"I doubt you feel _that_ way about him..." he mumbled. "But anyway, if he knew you were high on painkillers, why didn't he just forget this whole heartbreak shit and bang the hell out of you?"

"He believes that you and I are mated."

Holy shit. Maybe he _was_ getting too sentimental with the fish. "Well, tell him we're not. 'Cause we're not...right?"

"He will not believe me." Murdoc hated seeing tears stream down her face like that. It made him feel like he wasn't doing his job. "He believes I do not need him anymore. That that is the reason I do not speak to him anymore."

"Well then, I dunno, talk to him. Don't ask me, I'm no good at this kind of thing."

Aquamarine was quiet for a moment. Even with her face half-concealed by shadows, he knew her well enough to know the thoughtful expression that was on her face now. After a moment, she nodded. "Yes," she whispered. "I will go to him now. I will prove to him that I need him."

"Er, maybe not just yet...let me go talk to him first."

"No. You will only make things worse."

"Will not."

"You shall. He hates you more than he hates me."

"He doesn't hate you, he's just...sensitive. Just give me a few minutes with him. I won't take too long. And _then_ you can talk to him. Is that alright, angelfish?"

Aquamarine hesitated, but then nodded. "Yes. I trust you."

That was the first he'd heard of it.


	6. Sound Check Gravity

**In this chapter, there is language, violence, and sensuality. All it's missing is the crude humor and drugs and drinking, right? Anyway, in Murdoc's defense, he's trying to do what he can to make things better for Aquamarine in the only way he knows how. I don't want him to be the villain of this story, just kind of an anti-hero. Murdoc Niccals is not exactly Harry Potter, so deal with it. I also want to say i feel this chapter goes way too fast. But whatever. Review, please, I want to know what I'm doing wrong before it becomes so terrible and so close to the end it's irreversible.**

In the movies, things weren't so bad.

Well, sure, getting your arm torn off and eaten by a zombie wasn't any fun, but at least nobody got romantically betrayed in these kinds of stories.

2D's eye sockets were glued to his portable Blu-Ray player, watching "Dawn of the Dead" for the fifth time in the last three days. He practically knew the whole movie by heart now. Maybe he's write a song about it. Maybe—

The lift pinged and the doors opened. He ignored it. 2D was in no condition to put up much of a fight. Right now he just wanted to be left alone.

"I hope you realize that the fish is upstairs crying her eyes out over you." Crap. It was Murdoc.

"Yeah, well, so was I," 2D mumbled. He turned the volume on the player up to full blast.

"She's yours whenever you stop being such a bloody idiot. She sure doesn't want me."

2D paused the movie and looked over at him. "Whachoo _really_ wan'?"

Murdoc strode up to the side of 2D's cot and looked down at him. "I want you to forgive the poor thing so I can have some peace of mind! You think I _like_ listening to her blubber about you all day?

2D averted his eyes. "I be' you lis'n t'her do more'n tha', f'you know wha' I mean."

"Holy—did you listen to a word I just said? The fish isn't interested in me! Maybe if you'd stop popping pills every hour and losing brain cells on these sodding zombie films, you'd realize that!"

2D snapped the player shut. "Wha' I do'n my spare time is none of your business. Jus' leave me alone!"

Murdoc stepped closer, crowding him. 2D knew this was going to get ugly, really quickly. He slipped his Blu-Ray player underneath his pillow and hoped he didn't look too scared. "Sure, I'll leave you alone, when you stop being such a pussy-arse fuck face and grow up! I can't stand another day of this bloody drama between you two!"

2D felt a flash of daring. "Well, maybe you shoulda though' of tha' b'fore you had her."

2D was grateful he'd thought to protect his Blu-Ray player, because the next thing he knew, Murdoc's fist had landed hard into his gut. 2D curled up at the impact and nearly puked.

"You going to shut up now, or do I have to keep going?" Murdoc growled.

Panting and trying not to throw chunks, he gasped, "I'll shu' up when you star' trea'in' me like a human being."

"Wrong answer." Murdoc's fist rammed against the side of 2D's head. Murdoc then grabbed 2D by the arm and threw him to the floor. "You're forgetting, twerp, I'm not human." His boot pounded mercilessly into his stomach, ribs and chest, so hard 2D was sure he would vomit. He tried to protect himself with his arms, but Murdoc's kicks threatened to break them. There was nothing he could do but to just take it.

But then it stopped. 2D peeked through his hands at Murdoc. He appeared tired and sick. "If I wasn't so hung over, I might just finish you off. You deserve it." Murdoc then turned off the light and disappeared into the lift.

2D's eye sockets leaked onto the concrete floor. It was true it hadn't been nearly as bad as other times, but it was the first beating he had gotten since Aqua had showed up, and that was over 2 months ago. He curled up, clutching his abdomen, trying to hold down the fluids that kept wanting to come up. He really needed painkillers, but he was in too much pain to reach then from where he lay. He sobbed a little, but not just from the pain, but for the injustice of it all. He hadn't really done anything wrong. Aqua had cheated on him and Murdoc had seduced her. It wasn't his fault. If only he could go back to Crawley...

The lift pinged open, and 2D once again hid his face in his hands. Trembling and expecting more beating, he listened carefully for the booted stomping, the grunt-breathing, and that rough voice associated with so much pain. But the footsteps were soft, and he heard an inhale with no exhale. He peeked through his fingers and saw a floating green light glowing softly in the dark.

Aquamarine.

2D felt humiliated. He never wanted her to see him like this, looking so weak and defeated. He'd always wanted her to see him as a man, not a punching bag. The room light flicked on. He'd hoped she'd keep that off.

Aqua's face of horror only made things worse. "What...has he _done_ to you?"

2D rolled over to his other side so he wouldn't have to face her. "Nuffing," he mumbled through his palms.

The soft footsteps hurried to him and he felt a small hand on his arm. "You are very injured," she observed. "Both on the outside and the inside."

"I'm fine, fank you. Jus' leave me alone."

Aqua moved closer to him. "No. You need me."

"No, I don'. I'm fine."

"You are not. You are very weak now." That word, coming from her, stung him a little. "But I will make you strong again, I promise."

"S'nuffing you can do f'me."

Aquamarine's hand lifted, leaving a feeling—the opposite of pain. It was something he couldn't quite describe. He heard her cross the room. When she came back to his side, she carried an orange bottle. She handed it to him. Gratefully, he opened it and took out two pills. He replaced the lid and handed it back to her, still not facing her. "Er...fanks, I guess." He sat up, keeping his back to her, tilted his head back and tossed the pills into his mouth, swallowing hard.

"Let me see your wounds," she called to him from behind.

"No—" But she was already tugging his wife-beater upward. He let her, even lifting his arms to help her. She crawled around to face him and he almost couldn't take how beautiful she looked, even with tear streaks coming from her pale green eyes. She looked like she had cried a lot. She examined his torso carefully. 2D looked down at himself. He was already starting to bruise.

"Lie down," she ordered gently. He did so hesitantly. He watched her run her fingers lightly over his bruises, which both stung and soothed at the same time, and then kiss each one, starting with the lower ones near his hips and ending with the ones all the way to his collarbone. Her eyes travelled upward where she found the bruise near his right eye socket and she kissed that one, too, and hovered her face close to his and whispered, "You will live." She smiled and kissed his lips. When she pulled away his lips tingles—something he'd never felt with her before. Maybe not with anybody else.

But he was still mad at her.

He didn't want to show any emotion, so he stayed limp and unresponsive, despite his longings to show affection. She'd still betrayed him. What was to say she wouldn't do it again?

But was he really considering giving her another chance?

Aquamarine sat back on her heels and stroked his left shoulder with her fingers. "I love you, 2D." It was nothing her eyes didn't already tell him. "You are the only one I have ever truly trusted."

How could he stay mad at her when she said a thing like that?

2D sat up and gently pulled her face closer to kiss her. It felt like nothing he'd ever known. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her closer. And for once, his intentions weren't purely sexual. He just wanted to hold her. He could feel her smile on her lips as they kissed. He started to smile a little, too.

She was the one to end the kiss. She pulled away and stared into his eye sockets. 2D was grinning widely now, his arms still around her waist. Aqua smiled back at him. He loved it when she smiled for him. "D'you wanna try again, love?" He asked her, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

Her only response was another kiss. He took it as a yes.


	7. Sweepstakes

**Aqua's had enough with Murdoc. Murdoc is now surrounded by enemies on all sides. Also, the chapter got its name because "Sweepstakes" is the song Aqua records the drum track to in this chapter. Enjoy it, review, and let me know that my twist isn't stupid or sue-ish.**

Aqua slipped the headphones over her ears.

"Can you hear me, love?" Murdoc's voice sounded. She nodded at him through the glass. "Now here's what I want you to do: just pound on those drums to you heart's delight until I tell you to stop, alright?" She nodded again.

Holding the drumsticks in her small, dark hands, she held them in a ready position hovering above the drum set. She stared up at Murdoc, who was pushing buttons and flipping switches. She wondered how he felt now that she and 2D had reconciled. Relieved? Jealous? Hurt? Indifferent? Maybe everything at once. But just now he showed nothing but parental affection towards her, something that somewhat bothered her coming from a man she had mated with. Still, it was better than his screaming at her, barking commands or, worst of all, attacking 2D. She was angry at him for that, but at the same time if he hadn't, she would've never been able to reclaim him.

Murdoc then looked back at her and she heard his voice say, "Whenever you're ready."

She started with a simple beat, similar to one she had heard in a song by another band, one she couldn't quite place. But it came to her and she went along with it. But maybe this wasn't what Murdoc wanted. So she tweaked it a little, adding a slight flourish. She didn't look up at Murdoc to gauge his reaction, but she was fairly secure that he was impressed. Not that she cared, of course, but she liked it when the island had a peaceful atmosphere. So she tweaked it just a little more, keeping the beat and tempo but letting the rhythm evolve. Somehow it seemed to be gaining its own life, controlling her instead of the other way around. Somewhat startled by this epiphany, the rhythm completely changed into something almost unrecognizable.

She lost track of how long she had been banging around, but eventually she heard Murdoc's voice mumble in her ears, the sound drowned out by her drumming. He talked louder, but she disregarded it. Then the high-pitched squeal of a whistle pierced her ears. She dropped the drumsticks, which rebounded off the drums to the floor, and instinctively threw the headphones to the ground. She rubbed her ears fervently.

Murdoc beckoned for her to leave the booth, a shiny piece of metal in his mouth, and she nodded and walked out the sound-proof doors. His expression was not completely disapproving, but he certainly wasn't happy. He took the whistle out of his mouth. "Well, that went on just a bit too long," he grumbled.

Aqua stood there, tensing up slightly. "Have I done something wrong?" she asked, trying to hold in her true feelings.

"I have about a billion other things to do today, is all. I don't need you wasting any more of my time."

Aqua cocked her head to one side slightly and studied him. Something was bothering Murdoc, and it was not her drumming. She narrowed her eyes. "What troubles you?"

"Aqua, I already told you. I don't have a lot of time to waste on you mucking about in there. I have a lot of things to do."

"Well, I fot she was brillian'," 2D chimed in from the other side of the room, only to wither as Murdoc's glared turned to him.

"Stay out of this, twerp. Don't make me hurt you again—"

"No!" Aqua shouted over him. "You will not lay a hand on him again!"

"Oh, _really_?" Murdoc challenged. "And how do you plan to enforce that? Run away so I can scrape your bum off the beach again?"

Aquamarine took a few angry steps toward him. "Do not make the mistake that I care how you feel. I can do more to you than leave you."

Murdoc yawned slightly. "Wake me up when you finish whining."

Aqua snapped. Her hand swung back and smacked Murdoc's face loudly. He rubbed it as he glared at her. "You do not have the right to take your frustrations out on us. _Either of us_." She began to march out of the room, but as she reached the doorway she turned around. "It is not our fault you are paying for your mistakes. Every last bullet meant for you is your own doing. Do not bring the rest of us into it."

"I can take care of myself, thank you!" She heard him call after her, but she was already in the lift, pushing for the room she once again shared with 2D.

By the time the lift opened again she was already screaming, and by the time the lift once again reached the study she had tears streaming down her cheeks. She threw pillows, she slapped walls, she tore that creepy mask off that life-size figure of that man in the red-and-blue webbed suit that 2D loved so much and threw it against the floor until it broke. Murdoc was evil. _Evil_. He had never done anything for anyone and now that thing that 2D called "karma" had caught up with him. He deserved to die. He deserved to die by the hands of his own creations.

_She_ wanted to kill him.

It wouldn't be so difficult; humans were extremely vulnerable to death and disease and he already thought she was harmless. How simple would it be to slit his throat in his sleep? She knew where to find a knife. She knew his sleeping patterns. It would be so easy. Just a quick swipe and he would never bother anyone again.

The thought of ending Murdoc's life and once again fulfilling her destiny as a warrior soothed her and her tears dried. She sat down on the cot and took in deep, calming breaths of air and slowly let the mist escape her gills. Tonight she would do it. She would sneak out from this room and end it. End it all. No one would ever have to suffer at his hands again.

The lift pinged and 2D stumbled out. "You awrigh', love?"

Aqua nodded. He sat next to her and held her tightly. "S'okay, s'no' y'faul'. He's jus' scared cuz those Black Cloud blokes wanna do him in."

"So do I."

2D's grip loosened. "W-whachoo mean by tha'?"

She looked him in the eye socket. "I plan to murder him silently tonight. By sunrise, we will be free."

2D's jaw dropped. "B-bu'...tha's wrong! Killing's a crime! An' I know, sometimes I wish I could strangle him or somefing, bu' it won' solve nuffing!"

"If I do not do something about him, we will all die, in one way or another. And I will not lose you to him! You are worth much more than he will ever be!"

"Please, Aqua, I don' wan' you t'be a killer!"

"I already am. There is no helping it. It is my nature."

"Yeah, bu' you said all those people were surp'essing the mermaids, yeah? It was a war. A war's differen'. You don' kill people jus' cuz y'mad."

"It _is_ a war. It is a war in our own home. He has already caused it. Do you not notice the holes in the walls from the attacks? Or the scar on my shoulder? It is just as much a war as any revolution; a war on Murdoc's life on all ends. And I intend to win."

2D's arms dropped from around her and she knew she could not gain his support. "S'no' worf it, love. aren' you worried abou' Karma or anyfing?"

Aqua stood up and faced him. "There is no force of nature that can prevent me from protecting the one I love."

"If you're talking abou' las' nigh', It happens all the time, s'no big deal—"

"Everything I have ever cared for he has taken away from me! Everything! My tail, my fertility—the only thing I have been able to recover is you." She turned from him and began to pace. "No. He must die. He must die by the hands of his own creation. It is the only way justice shall be served."

But she had lost him and she could feel it. She turned around to see him with his face pressed against the porthole. "...I fink I see somefing..."

Aquamarine climbed onto the cot and leaned against him to see. There was something moving out there, something foreign that she had never seen before. It looked as if there were arms and legs and a body...and yet it was so _huge._ But it was too hard to tell. It was far away in the distance.

_Beep_. "Just giving you two a head's up," came Murdoc's voice over the intercom. "Looks like something's coming toward the island. I-I don't know what it is, but it certainly isn't a ship. It looks like a brown dome."


	8. M1 A1

**Here's another microscopic Russel and Noodle chapter. They're coming up...coming up...coming up...It's DARE! UHH! jkjk lol**

**What I mean is, they're within view of Plastic Beach. They can see it. Nothing really happens here except for dialogue and anticipation for future chapters.**

**PLEASE PLEASE review, because if I'm doing something wrong, let me know. I'm nearing the end and if I don't get feedback soon, I'll finish it and it'll be up and it will embarrass me for all eternity. DON'T LET THAT HAPPEN. PLEASE. If I get no reviews, I assume I'm doing nothing wrong.**

What the hell was that..._thing_?

Russel's eye's must've been playing tricks on him again, or he was having another hallucination (Which had been pretty common since he left Gorillaz in 2006), but on the darkening horizon was a pink shape that looked almost impossible to exist.

It looked like a mushroom cloud from a very girly nuclear bomb, frozen in time and space, as stationary as any island would be. What was even stranger was that there seemed to be some kind of building on it, a house maybe. Someone was actually _living_ on that thing.

With the ocean breeze he got the occasional whiff of decaying plastic and general rot. He supposed it was coming from the "island". What _was_ it? It certainly wasn't land. But then, it seemed pretty stationary.

"Hey Noodle." He stopped his progress toward the floating mushroom and treaded water. "What do you think that is?"

"Is Plastic Beach, yes? It looks like what Murdoc-san described."

"You sure? I mean, he said nothing about the shape of it, and there's something seriously fucked up about it—oops, excuse the language."

"Is fine, Russel-san. I am adult now."

Russel chuckled quietly. "That's right. I keep forgetting. But you'll always be a little girl to me." He smiled warmly, wishing Noodle could see it from the top of his head. "What's the plan."

"We go to it. Is Plastic Beach. I know it."

"What if it's not? I mean, in this day and age, there's bound to be a ton of those trash piles all over the ocean. How can you be so sure that's THE Plastic Beach?"

He felt a piece of paper unfold on top of his scalp. "Coordinance are correct. We there. I know it."

"Maybe we should wait for another helicopter or something. Could be abandoned for all we know."

"Could take weeks for helicopter. And you must be tired. No, we continue on. They are there."

Russel reluctantly obeyed and began to drift forward, letting the current do a lot of the work. The good thing about his new size was he floated easily. He would trust Noodle with his life, sure, but he wasn't so sure he trusted what they had seen. He'd learned from experience not to trust the eyes too much. Better to follow intuition. And his intuition told him to be cautious, that there was danger coming, or that they were coming to the danger. Either way, he had a funny feeling they were headed for some kind of trouble. But of course, he didn't say this to Noodle. He didn't want to worry her.

As the island came into better view and the sky darkened, Noodle wondered aloud, "Who is Aquamarine?"

"I've been thinking about that, actually. I bet she's a replacement for one of us. Especially since they're working on a new album. Murdoc and 2D can't make music on their own. They'd need some kind of help."

"You are right, Russel-san. Perhaps she is new member. I hope she nice."

"I'm sure she is, Noodle. I just hope they don't think she's gonna stick around forever. _We_ rightfully belong with the band. She's just a temp."

"Maybe we can find other role for her."

"Where's that? Everything else is taken. I mean, I hate to just show up and ruin someone's career, but there really ain't no room in the band for another member. It's gotta be the same lineup as it has been for years. Otherwise, it just ain't Gorillaz."

"Don't say that, Russel-san. She as deserving as we are."

Russel was silent for a moment. Who knew what her talents were? The group _had_ welcomed Del with open arms. You never knew. And Noodle was always the type to give people a chance. Sometimes he wondered what she would've thought of Paula.

Was Aquamarine a new Paula?

Russel refocused on the waves before him and answered, "I sure hope so, Noodle."


	9. Highway Under Construction

**Filler/smut. But that filler/smut has kind of a function in the next chapter. I hope that doesn't give it away...**

**But yeah, briefly pornographic so children, cover your eyes. This chapter does NOT stand on its own, so please don't give me crap about giving my OC a sue-ish life or anything. I love my OC enough not to give her EVERYTHING she wants.**

**Also, just to clarify: 2D is Buddhist, and Buddhists are ag****ainst all killing. They also believe that Hell is temporary, and your stay there varies with the severity of your greatest sin. I read a book on it once, so I know what I'm talking about.**

2D watched Aqua fiddle with the pictures on the walls. He barely remembered drawing them, but they looked like his. Many of them were images of whales eating whole ships and others of targets or X's or zombies or motorcycles. Random stuff. He must've been on a lot of painkillers when he drew these. Aqua stared at them, her tan fingers pulling at the corners and tracing the lines. He couldn't see her face underneath her large cloud of hair. She wore a strapless green sundress today, and it brought out her eyes. He noticed it earlier when she told him she wanted to kill Murdoc.

Not that he cared about him, but 2D's religion wouldn't allow her to take any more lives. He didn't want her going to Hell, even temporarily. He cared about her too much. It was the craziest thing, too, because she looked so innocent, especially in that dress. Much more innocent than she had in the bikini she used to wear.

He lay on his cot studying her, just studying, not supervising or anything. He didn't really care much about any of the stuff in the room; she was much more valuable. Even with her half-hidden in the shadows of the dim lights, she didn't look able to kill. He kind of didn't believe her. Aquamarine would never take a life. She couldn't. Not knowing her the way he did.

It was kind of stuffy in the room so he sat up and took his tank top off. Aquamarine looked at him when he did this, her face unreadable. He looked at her face and melted a little. He smiled meekly and said, "I dunno how I go' so lucky t'end up wiff you."

"It was not luck, 2D," she answered flatly. "It was destiny."

"Wha'ever it was, I'm happy."

She smiled at this and came over to him, grabbing hold of his hands. "I am so pleased to hear that." She leaned over and kissed his forehead. He pulled her face closer and kissed her lips. She broke away abruptly. "I want to try something."

"Oh, wha's tha'?"

"Lie down."

2D did so, wondering if this was what he thought it was. If so, he felt slightly aroused. She got down on her knees and began to undo his pants, and the feeling grew stronger. Aqua unearthed his member and to his surprise, she gripped it firmly and began to move her hand up and down. He closed his eye sockets as his breathing became heavier. It was an incredible feeling, something he hadn't felt in too long. He felt her tongue and lips caress the head and he could feel himself harden. He almost couldn't breathe from the pleasure, but he needed more. He needed the real thing.

Aqua read his mind, slipped off his jeans and rose to straddle him, and he could feel that she had worn nothing underneath her dress. She lifted it off and he stared up at her body...it was so beautiful and so soft...he needed it...he needed it now...

She lowered herself into place and began to move on top of him, letting out small moans in between gasps for air-water. He ran his fingers across her thighs at first, but as the feeling grew stronger, he gently grabbed her, careful not to hurt her. She started bouncing and he almost couldn't take it. He slid his hands up and down her torso, across her soft breasts and around her hips as her voice grew louder. It was almost strange to hear her moaning without human breath, but it turned him on, so he didn't question it.

He came and cried out. At almost the same time, she climaxed and screamed. 2D couldn't stop his fingers digging into the flesh of her hips slightly.

They calmed down and she removed herself to lie on top of him, the way they usually slept. 2D's member was throbbing from the aftermath of the orgasm, and Aqua's gasps were loud and quick.

He ran his fingers up and down her spine, an old habit he was happy to resume. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed just being physically near her until he could be again. 2D smiled as her breathing slowed and she rested her head on his chest the way she used to. He could do this for the rest of his life. But only with her. No one else would be quite the same.

He wrapped his arms around her and whispered, "Where'd y'learn t'do tha'?"

She answered with one word: "Murdoc."

That hurt him. He let himself go limp enough for his arms to drop from her. He should've known. But she lifted herself up on her hands to look down at him. "You misunderstand me," she said. "It was not in his bed that I learned. It was on the computer in the studio. It was a few weeks ago. He was watching the thing which you call a 'movie' on it one night, and I happened to catch him. But I did not give myself away immediately; I was curious. A woman and a man mated the way we have just now. The man seemed to enjoy it. I wanted you to feel that way as well."

2D sighed with relief and held her close. At least he didn't have to imagine her with him...

"I do not remember much about that night," She continued. "Only that I woke up in Murdoc's bed without clothing. Maybe we did not mate at all. I do not know for sure."

His eye sockets locked onto her eyes. "I sure hope you didn'." Her face looked uncertain. She stroked his cheek. "I do as well."

They kissed for a long time, 2D almost feeling that if it ended, he would lose her. And he couldn't lose her again. No matter what, he couldn't leave her now. No matter what she did to him from now on, he couldn't live another day without her. It was a beating he would be willing to take.

Aquamarine broke away. She always did. "What do you think that brown dome in the water is?"

"Dunno. Maybe anovver sub?"

"I do not think so."

"Whachoo fink it is, then?"

Aquamarine only stared at him with half of a smile, at least for a moment. But he loved the way she stared at him so he didn't rush her. Finally, she broke her silence. "I think it is Russel."

"Wha'? There's no _way_ tha's Russel! S'_way_ too big!"

"I know it may seem quite large," she reasoned. "But maybe something happened to him to change his physical being. It is possible. Look at me."

"Yeah, bu' you was intenshunal! How could Russel ge' _tha'_ bloody big?"

She giggled, and it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard, automated or not. "I do not know, but I sense that Russel and Noodle are close. Closer than Murdoc's enemies." Her eyes then clouded ominously. "Unless you count me."

"P'ease tell me y'won' go sneaking aroun' in the middle of the nigh', tryin' t'sli' Murdoc's froa' or somefing."

Aqua only placed a small finger on his lips. "Go to sleep, my love. Everything will be fine in the morning."

"S'tha' mean Murdoc'll be dead?"

"I only aim to please you, love. If you do not want me to do it, tell me not to."

2D made eye contact and maintained it. "Don' kill him, love. S'no' righ'."

Aquamarine only nodded and rested her head back down on his chest. She traced patterns into his chest, not speaking, barely breathing, and eventually she lulled him to sleep.


	10. Ghost Train

**It's been awhile, I know, and I don't know how many people are actually reading this, since I've gotten no feedback, but hopefully I'm doing okay. Here's where Aqua tries to kill Murdoc. I'm sorry if it's a load of sueish bullshit but really, if you don't like it, tell me what's wrong. Besides, I have massive writer's block.**

Aqua waited patiently and affectionately for 2D to fall and stay asleep, only dropping her finger from his chest when she knew he was out cold. When his breathing deepened, she knew she was free.

After kissing him lightly on the corner of the mouth and whispering, "I love you", she carefully slipped out from between him and the blanket. She searched the floor for her dress and when she found it, pulled it back up into place. From where she stood, she looked over at 2D and could see his hand sleepily searching for her where she had been. She felt almost guilty for doing this, leaving him alone. Their reunion could easily be taken away if he woke up alone again. He might get the wrong idea...

...Or he'd know exactly what she was doing. Which was worse.

Still, she was doing it for not only herself, but for him as well. As she gazed down at his helpless-looking form, she felt a strong sense of responsibility. It was up to her to protect him. And killing Murdoc was the only way.

She knew where to find her weapon; 2D was never very clever about hiding things. Moving stealthily, she crept over toward a shelf near the lift. There sat a wide cylinder that 2D had told her once contained "paint". She looked down into the cylinder and at the bottom was what appeared to be only a handle. Aqua picked this up and found a small, protruding point near the end. She pulled on this with her thumb and a blade unearthed itself, shining brilliantly in the dim lighting. She lightly tapped the point. It was almost unbelievable sharp. Perfect. This would slit Murdoc's throat nicely.

Aquamarine turned back around to look at 2D once again before she performed her act of loyalty, only to have every hair on her head prick up.

2D's eye sockets were open and he was lying on his side, staring at her from across the room.

"Whachoo doin' up?" He hoarsely asked.

Aqua hid the knife behind her back and tried to look as normal as possible. "Nothing, love. I only need to relieve myself."

2D nodded. "Well, don' take too long, 'kay? I can' fall back asleep wivvout you."

Her face wore an affectionate and apologetic smile, but inside it nearly broke her to lie to him. _This is for his own good_, she told herself. _This one lie will save you both._ As she turned to the lift, she pulled the knife slyly to her front and made sure not to turn around. She let the lift close before turning around.

The ride up to Murdoc's bedroom was never a short one, but tonight seemed abnormally long. _If only there was a way to make 2D suitable to live in the sea_, she thought, but took it back. She did not want to subject him to the torment she had been through. It wouldn't be fair. She would just have to find another way. And one day, she would. One day she'd return, stronger and more able than ever, and single-handedly take down the monarch who had destroyed everything. But she had to start with Murdoc's blood...

How would she hide his death from 2D, anyway? How could she keep from him the stench of decay and the stain of blood? She couldn't do it quickly, and 2D was waiting for her, lying awake in their bedroom counting the seconds until her return. She would have to do it in the morning. For now, she'd slit Murdoc's throat and end his life, and worry about the remains when she was able.

The lift opened and she found herself in the dank chamber leading to Murdoc's door, which sported crude red letters spelling out "Mudz". The letters angered her. She wasn't sure why. Maybe it was how crude the word sounded in her mind. It was vulgar, like Murdoc himself.

Her hatred refueled, she charged silently to the door and began to slowly, carefully, turn the wheel that held it shut. It squeaked. _Shit_. Surely that would've woken him up. She waited a few moments, hoping her trip up here wasn't a complete waste, and when she heard nothing through the suffocating silence, she turned it again, this time even slower. It was painstaking, but eventually the door came free and she entered a room with a floor littered with what Murdoc had called "hats". She checked her right hand and felt that the knife was still in her hand, the blade exposed, begging to feel the tear of a monster's skin. Aqua contained herself and stepped over the hats toward a bed she had not seen since the night she had returned. This bed had been the dwellings of all the evil in this house, and tonight she would defeat it.

In the moonlight, Murdoc's Olive green skin looked teal and his jet black hair a glistening navy. Ocean colors. Already he resembled his future resting place. She approached him from his left, keeping an eye on his limp and tangled form. He was partially lying on the side facing her, which was fortunate. His throat was more accessible. Reaching steadily out, she set her free hand on his forehead and pulled it gently back, careful not to wake him. He couldn't wake, not ever again. She smiled when his throat was efficiently exposed.

But before ending him once and for all, she paused for a second and studied the creature she was about to kill. In slumber, he was almost beautiful. In this state he could do no harm.

_I must make this permanent_, she thought, and she touched the blade to his neck and made to slide it across—

His hand grabbed her right wrist. He chuckled hoarsely and crudely as he lifted the blade from his neck. "I was wondering when you'd try that," his voice came out from the darkness.

Aquamarine had stiffened. How could he have caught her? He was soundly asleep.

"Didn't think I could hear you, did you?" He sat up and took the blade from her unmonitored hands. Murdoc set the knife down beside him and grabbed her hands. Too shocked to move, she did not pull away. "Do you _really_ think that after all the attempts made on my life that I'd let my guard down _that_ easily? Oh, you silly little fish. Obviously your targets down there must have been completely dull if you really thought you could fool me." He laughed again. "But I underestimated you, love, I really did. I didn't think you'd actually try to _kill_ me."

Aqua tore her hands away, now shaking with rage. "You evil creature. You deserve to die. Perhaps I was wrong to think I could bring an end to you tonight, but whomever does is doing the world a service!"

"Well, that's not very nice to say. You know, if it hadn't been for me, you wouldn't have been around to meet your oh-so-precious boyfriend, now would you? Besides, I could have easily kept you two apart, but I knew you'd take to each other. It was all me! Everything you have—your life, your lover, clothes, shelter—that was me." He fell into a low grumble and then continued. "Maybe I've done _too_ much for you. Spoiled you rotten, by the looks of it. Don't know where I went wrong, though. Noodle sure didn't turn out this way."

"You have still taken away my tail. I will never forgive you for that."

"And if I hadn't done, where would you be now?"

Aqua reflected on this. To be perfectly honest, if he had never agreed to perform reconstructive surgery on her, she would have died on the beach and been dumped back into the ocean, where her body would disintegrate to worthless nothing. But she was alive. And if she was alive, she still had a chance to defeat King Neptune. All she needed was her life and a plan. And because of Murdoc, she was halfway there.

Suddenly she felt a horrible guilt for going against the man to which she owed her life.

"You need me," he cooed. "And I need you. Maybe in different ways, but in some strange, kind of screwed-up way, we can't function without each other. And I mean, if we never, er, _fuck_ again, I'll be fine. It'll be a shame, sure, but I'll live. I just try to take care of you, you know. I'm sorry if I haven't done me job lately. I've been a bit...preoccupied."

Aqua broke down inside. She'd never seen before the good inside of him. And maybe it wasn't so apparent as in 2D, but it was there. She moved closer to him, held his face in her hands and kissed his forehead. "You are right."

"Really? I didn't think that would work on you." He slid his hands around her waist and pulled slightly. "Hey, er, do...d'you think you could stick around for a little while? I mean, that is, if the twerp's asleep and all."

She hit him in the face. "Do not cross that sensitive line with me again. I am still angry with you."

Murdoc let go of her and rubbed his face. "That'd be a no, then?"

But before Aqua could answer, that sound, that dreaded sound of "hellycopters" faded in. She backed away and rushed to the window. "No!" Murdoc pushed her to the floor just as the glass shattered from the bullets. "Get back below. You're safe there."

Aqua pulled herself into a sitting position using the edge of the bed. "You cannot make me. I want to fight alongside you."

Murdoc shook his head as the room trembled and a cracking noise exploded across the island. "I'm not letting anything happen to you."

"You yourself admitted that you underestimated me just a moment ago. I can prove to you I am worthy."

Murdoc said nothing until the cyborg marched in, freezing in the doorway and saluting him. "Maybe. For now I want you underwater. I'll get you if I need you."

"You will not."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do. I know you well. You are saying that to shut me up."

"So? I have to shut you up somehow."

"Let me fight with you!"

Murdoc hesitated. She knew she had one this time. "Fine. But if anything happens to you, _anything_, even just a little bruise on your shin, you're going straight back down, understand?"

Aquamarine nodded. Her destiny had come for her at last.


End file.
